- Date
- July 20, 1984, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Richey, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N24111Sikorsky S-55B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840720033849A
- Case key
- 16438
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he landed in a pasture where he intended to refuel. During the landing roll, one of the wheels dropped into a hole, causing the main rotor blade to flex downward and severe the tailboom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24111
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-55B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 55237
- Airframe hours
- 3,857
- Engine
- Curtis Wright R-1300, 800 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- James Roland Beck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · April 11, 1984 · 110 hours before
- Departed
- Richey, MT
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,422 total · 65 in this make and model · 3,200 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.